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So I dragged out of the classroom by the ankles…

I spend my afternoons four days a week at a very difficult school. I am speaking of the Primary School of Doom. There is a reason I call it that, and it is a very big reason as to why I don’t like it here all that much.

But I think, I think, I have reached the point at which I can laugh at it.

For instance: dragging a kid by the ankles.

I have a three strike system in my classroom.

Step One: STAND UP! If you are talking or being annoying or hitting or screaming or passing notes or glueing your friends hair to the desk (this happened yesterday) you stand up. Standing is supposed to be embarrassing because everyone looks at you, and it is also annoying because you have to stand for like half an hour.

Step Two: Go to the Wall!
If you keep talking and/or glueing/ whatever it was that made you stand, now you must go stand facing the wall. I say this with a big arm gesture and the kid sinks his head and says “Teacher no. No Teacher.” There is one particular student that has his own special spot on the wall. I don’t even have to say anything. I just raise my eyebrow and point to the wall.

Step Three: Go out!
If you keep being a problem while standing at the wall, then you get to go to the office. This is the big threat, and really only save it for kids that I can’t handle any more. One kid in particular would not go stand at the wall, so I moved him there myself. Then he thought it would be great to go talk to his BFF. WHAT? So I take his hand and he thinks I am moving him back to the wall. Once I open the door to send him to the office, he collapses on the ground like a two year old having a tantrum in the cereal isle. He’s eight and kind of a chunker. First I try and pull him up to stand. His bff even tries to help me, but then he starts trying to crawl away. So I grab his ankles and drag him back to the door. Another teacher sees me struggle and takes him away, laughing. I shut the door and go back to teaching like nothing happened. It wasn’t until telling this story to my coworker that I even realized it was ridiculous.

And this is merely on example from many more.

So with this being my daily experience, perspective and distance has been a little difficult.